“You Are the Most Beautiful, Precious Girl…”
Would you choose to adopt a kitty who was known to have, ahem, litterbox issues?
And after hearing many warnings and so much failure in this area, do you think you’d be the one to find the magic solution?
Christie was brought to a veterinarian for treatment, but her owners never returned; apparently Christie wasn’t using the litter pan and they didn’t want to take her back. The veterinarian obtained ownership and put her up for adoption, and as the news spread that a kitty needed a home the story eventually reached her adoptive people. They met the charming and quiet girl, impressed by her affectionate nature, and were willing to take a chance with the litter pan issues. Her forever family discovered that Christie needed to be told frequently, at least once each day, that she was the most beautiful and precious girl and to have her lovely long orange fur massaged or she would become visibly depressed. Apparently she is no longer wanting for praise and affection, and a neatly folded towel still warm from the dryer and carefully placed on the kitchen counter doesn’t hurt, either.
This is Christie’s story in Great Rescues Calendar and Gift Book
About Christie’s adoption
Apparently in Christie’s case, love was the solution, and her people apparently knew it the moment they saw her.
“We knew that was an issue when we met her,” Christie’s mom said, “but we just liked her so much we thought we’d give her a chance.”
Living with breed Persians for many years this couple was smitten with a rescue cat, Felix, after they lost their tabby Persian, Scout. Now they find rescue cats, always adults, to fill their home, usually two at a time, and they also care for a number of outdoor cats in style. At right is Scruffy, Christie’s current house mate, using the scratching post right next to the window so he can pretend he’s in the outdoors.
The idea that they would be willing to bring a cat who had known litter box issues into their rather new and elegant home, and to work with the cat until the issue was resolved by simply finding the cat’s own needs is a testament to their belief in rescue and their skill with and sensitivity to animals.
“She did have a few accidents at first,” Christie’s mom continued. “We gave her lots of attention when she was new so she’d know we loved her and she belonged here and she’d get used to the place. After all, she’d been abandoned.” The occasional errant litterbox non-use disappeared.
“I just discovered that she needs to be held and petted and massaged and told every day, more than once if possible, that she is the most wonderful, beautiful, precious, lovely girl, and we love her very much,” she said as she demonstrated the process of love with Christie on her lap, massaging her fingers through Christy’s thick fur as Christie flexed her front toes and slowly blinked her eyes, knowing that this sort of treatment was her divine right.
Eventually, people have to go to work or away on a vacation or just out somewhere for long days, such as during the holidays. “When she doesn’t get her quota of love, she will ‘miss’ the box,” her mom said, “so we give Christie her love every day, but we understand if she misses.” Even the pet sitter indulges Christie when they are away.
But avoiding Christie’s issues isn’t the reason for lots of love, and trying to resolve her issues wasn’t a reason for adoption; rather, it was the other way around. They simply knew when they met her that they loved her and they felt Christie would love them too. Finding the solution—frequent demonstrative love sessions—was a happy by-product of how much they loved her, and she loved them.
About the portrait
I’ve done several portraits for this couple, as you can see in Felix’s article, Big Kitty Love, and Christie was the most recent. By this time I no longer needed to review with them the process of considering the scene and posture they’d like in order to remember their kitty forever on their wall. When they called me, they knew exactly what they wanted, because nearly every day, they warmed a towel in the dryer, folded it neatly and, while still warm, placed it on the counter dividing the kitchen and dining area where they frequently sat after dinner. They had taken a number of photos in preparation and I took a number of close-ups of Christie as well, and happily got to their portrait.
Some people react to this portrait in an interesting way, saying she looks sad, but it’s only because she’s lying down and her expression is relaxed, her eyes aren’t as round and alert as usual—and that’s where the portrait posture is personal to the humans of the cat. Her people know she’s extremely happy and see nothing else.
Here is Christie’s page in Great Rescues:
Read other stories about cats and their rescuers from Great Rescues.
The Portrait That Started it All
There Was Just No Other Kitty After Samantha
Irina and Isis, Saved from the Flood
Learn more about Great Rescues Calendar and Gift Book
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Great story about cat rescue. I am a cat lover myself. I own a white turkish angora. I have a lot of great pictures with her, so a post on my blog about her is definitely on the schedule.
Oh, I lived with a white Turkish Angora for 15 years! My Sally was a joy, though very independent and particular about how she was to be touched. But all that white fur, and the way it held the light and color…
wow.. this is one of the best portriates of a cat I have seen…
Connie, thanks for the compliment! It’s one of the simplest, but one of my favorites to paint for her expression and all the soft shadows and reflections throughout.
Thank you for sharing Christie’s story with us. She is beautiful.
Gracey, I hope others look past issues and see the loving cat underneath too. Thanks for visiting!
what a beautiful portrait and wonderful story Bernadette. thanks for sharing 🙂
Tamar, this is an incredible couple–they have a stunning, immaculate home and yet they welcomed Christie where others passed her by. They have always preferred to remain anonymous and I respect that, but both of them, husband and wife, are equally cat people–I call these “cat couples”!
I personally didn’t interpret her impression as sad. She seems more serene, and probably curious about the camera clicking photos of her. 🙂
Heather, this reaction has been interesting and people have actually questioned that I would do a portrait that looked so sad to them, but I love it when they look relaxed and sleepy. It just goes to show we know our own cats best.